The Basics to Reaching your Best
by Anthony Famiglietti on December 13, 2013 in Anthony Famiglietti, Athletics & Training
I have dedicated the last twenty years of my life to the pursuit of excellence in professional running. Racing at the highest level of professional athletics has been difficult, and taken me to the brink of exhaustion, but it pales in comparison to how drained a parent can feel after a day of keeping up with a child. As a new father, I quickly learned to get the most out of runs with the little time and energy that I have to spare.
Based on my experience in competitive running, there are some basic insights and concepts that can help you to get the most out of your training to reach your maximum potential. There are a lot of professional level training models and racing buildups that will help any runner, beginner to expert. Before beginning any new physical training routines, be sure to consult your physician for expert health advice and guidance.
TRAINING ESSENTIALS
Quality over Quantity: I’m a strong believer that less is more, especially when it’s strategically power packed with muscular and speed building techniques. The focus of these workouts will be on moderate distances with intense running sessions of hard, quality running. These sessions are followed by days of quality recovery with light runs at reasonable distances. Basically that means the emphasis is on running hard on hard days and easy on easy days. The goal with these training buildups will be to race as fast as you possibly can, not to race as often or as far as you can. You will be running fewer miles, but you will be working harder mentally and physically in the runs to get the most out of those miles. Training qualitatively can be more compatible with a busy schedule, especially for those of us with children. You will not be able to brag to your friends about the crazy long runs you’re doing, but you can smile as you pass them in the last mile of your next 5k. You will be busy getting faster.
Running by Feel: No one will know how well or bad you feel better than you. The best way to hit your optimal marks is by listening to your internal cues, not by constantly relying on a watch or outside cues to tell you what is best. Focus on learning how to read those cues and how to run from your gut by paying attention to your body. Listening to your body and knowing when to push hard or hold back can also help prevent injury. This will certainly be the most valuable tool you will need to develop.
Terminology: Here are common running terms you might hear in hard core running circles :
RPE: Rate of perceived effort. This is used to determine your effort on a scale of 1-10. 1 being very easy, 10 being an all-out run.
Interval: A series of fast paced runs broken up by pre-determined periods of rest/recovery. Example: A set of 4 x 400 meter runs on the track with 2 minutes of standing recovery in between each.
Fartlek: Translated from Swedish to literally mean ‘speed play’, it is a continuous run with intermittent periods of running hard and running easy. For example: Alternate 3 minutes of hard running followed by 2 minutes of easy running on and off for 30 minutes.
Tempo Run: A continuous run of anywhere from two miles to 20+ miles at an effort that is hard enough not to be able to speak, but not an all-out effort.
Time Trial: A time trial is a simulated race effort that can be run at varying distances depending on the race you are preparing for.
We will add more terms as we move forward each week.
At the end of the day, there is no physiological test that can accurately measure mental toughness and will-power in running. Only you know how far or fast you can go. My job is to help put you on a path of discovering your full running potential. So keep checking in here each week for training advice and motivation to help you stay on that path to running your best.